ROME, Ga. (Softball) - Florida Tech (11-14) fell 6-5 and 7-0 in the doubleheader against Shorter University on Tuesday afternoon at Alto Park Softball Complex.
In the two games combined, the Crimson and Gray had nine hits from seven different players. Junior catcher
Makayla Palmer posted two hits during the outing, while
Vanessa Rubio (2 RBIs) and
Alexus Smith (1 RBI) added one homerun each with respective efforts on the day.
Hailey Leonard (1-for-4, 2 RBIs) and
Krista Patterson (1-for-3) collected one double each.
In game one, Shorter drew first blood in the bottom of the first after snatching four runs. Forwarded to the top of the inning, Florida Tech closed the gap in the fourth with a two run homer by Rubio. However, the responding Hawks offense scored one more run and advanced the lead 6-2. Headed to the fifth with Smith at bat, a flared homerun to deep left center brought another run on the scoreboard for the Panthers.
After a scoreless sixth inning, FIT placed runners in scoring position thanks to a double by
Krista Patterson that pushed Smith two third.
Hailey Leonard then hit a single to the left side allowing both Smith and Patterson to cross home plate. With the score reading 6-5 with two outs and a runner at second, the Panthers could not drive Leonard home and fell during game one.
On the mound for the Panthers was Amanda Khan (3-4), she was credited with the loss on the afternoon however, McKenzie
Krutzinger pitched five innings allotting only two runs on seven hits and struck out three.
In game two, FIT struggled offensively and was unable to place runners on base. Two players combined for only two hits, as
Krista Patterson and Karina
Suicava had one a piece.
Shorter started off the game scoring three runs in the home half and added two more in the bottom of the second. At the top of the fourth, the Panthers reached on base thanks to a single up the middle by Patterson but she was then out on a double play by the Shorter defense.
Suicava drove a single to the right field with two outs, but the high fly ball by Smith was eventually caught to end the top of the sixth for FIT.
Despite the multiple defensive efforts, the Hawks scored one more run at the bottom of the sixth and eventually ended the match 7-0.
Rachel Pence (8-8) suffered her eight seasonal loss.
Next, the Panther travel back home to the Nancy
Bottge Field for an SSC weekend
series matchup against the Barry University Buccaneers. The series will start on Mar. 10 at 2 p.m. ET, for more coverage of the event please visit FloridaTechSports.com where you can access the live feeds.
